Home from work

Ah the Winter Olympics . And the commentators are getting very excitied about a possibility of the Brits getting a medal in the women's 2 man bob. But do we care? I somehow doubt it. Any medal winner will get an MBE and forgotten about until the next olympics. We aren't a winter sports nation.

From the title of this blog you may guess I like ducks. But sadly one duck is becoming much harder to see. Yes the good old Ruddy Duck. Various wildlife bodies and DEFRA have decided that this comical looking yank ahs to go because a) it's an escape and b) if they reach Spain the lady White Headed Ducks prefer it. So now the poor little Ruddy is being shot. I'm sure that there are good scientific reasons for this but being totally selfish I'll miss the cheeky lttle yank. Lets hope a few hang about.

Seriously I like ducks. And I like Mallards! Your Mallard is pretty easy to see and gives good value for money. Throw it a bit of food and it will be your mate. Of course proper birders don't like ducks particularly I suppose because they have this habit of shagging things they shouldn't. Like ducks of a different species.
But me? I like 'em. Then again I'm a bit odd - no sniggering at the back. I like blue tits, blackbirds and other common birds. Tell me that there is a rare gull down the road and I'd still rather watch Great Crested Grebe's build a nest, or a Great Spotted Woodpecker hammer on a tree trunk or just listen to a Robin or Blackbird serenade me.

What is about listers? They are full of I NEED a (insert species here) for my year/life list. Yeah right. Some of them couldn't tell the difference between a Linnet and a female House Sparrow but got a list of 74billion. I mean sorry but get a life. I've seen birders get very excited because they've just seen (insert species here) and then say "of course we saw 6,535 whilst in Florida".

I'm sorry I don't get it. Obviously its nice to see a lifer or other "good" bird but we need a sense of perspective here.

Equally why are some birders so bloody miserable. My mate Dave and I were off to see the Grey Cheeked Thrush last year (it was just down the road don't you know almost on my doorstep ahem) and the blokes coming back who had seen this bird this VERY RARE BIRD who should have been cock a hoop were as glum as if they had just heard a Sparrowhawk had taken it 5 minutes ago, come on folks its a great hobby SMILE!

Of course there are some friendly birders about (like the folks I usually bird with) take the bloke at Rainham Marsh. I had used a long lunch to try and see the Sociable Plover and the bird was being elusive. I had to give up and head back I had gone 20 seconds before this chap says "oy mate found it" and let me admire it briefly before I fled back to the meeting I had to be at. Top bloke.

And whilst I'm at it can we all lighten up. Just because some newby can't tell the difference between a female Pochard and Wigeon who cares? we all had to learn somewhere. And in most instances still are. There isn't some secret police that says right you are now a fair to middling bird you can buy Opticron/Minox/Bushnell but don't let me see you with a pair of Swaros until you can id the call of a Yellow Browed Warbler.

I also like Chuches. my church list is struggling because I seem to gravitate to places I can see birds. On a holiday in Somerset/N Devon last year instead of visiting various churches on the hit list I'd find myself at the back of ooh Hinkley Point power station picking out Rock Pipits and get excited over a juve Arctic Tern.
Still this year I want to add a good 50 churches to my Jenkins list. If I'm not at a minimum if 627 by 31st December I'll be annoyed! I really must visit North Lincolnshire.Wonder what the birding is like :)